Home Security Tips for the Holidays
The holiday season is in full swing! While most of us are thinking of ways to make the ones we love in our lives happy this season, unfortunately this is also the season when others will attempt to make us very unhappy.
Who? Burglars.
Burglars love the holidays because homes are often vacated and wonderful, new electronics and other gifts are theirs for the taking. Here are some simple tips to keep your home safer.
Don’t Leave Boxes Outside
Break down and conceal boxes by hiding them inside trash cans rather than placing them by the road. It’s not uncommon for homeowners and their families to leave stacks of boxes by the road for the waste disposal company to pick up. While this may seem harmless enough, it can make your home a target for burglars. Burglars may scout neighborhoods during the holidays, looking for homes with empty boxes from TVs, video game consoles, computers, and other high-dollar products stacked outside. By breaking down your boxes and stuffing them inside your trash can, you’ll reduce your risk of becoming a target.
Don’t Post Travel Plans Online
I think we’ve all been guilty of this at some point or another: you’re preparing to travel on vacation, so you share the news on your Facebook page. Unfortunately, many burglars now use social media networks like Facebook to determine when a home is occupied and when it’s not. If you post an update that you and your family are headed out of town for the holidays, a burglar could potentially see it, using this information to plan their attack.
Tip: you can refer to this article for instructions on how to set your Facebook profile to private. Even with a private profile, though, it’s still a good idea to avoid posting information about your holiday travel plans.
Don’t Run Electrical Cords Through Windows
There’s nothing wrong with decorating your home with some festive holiday lights, but you shouldn’t run the cords through windows. Aside from it being a fire hazard (compressed cords may spark a fire), it also provides an easy and convenient point of entry for burglars. With an electrical cord running between the window and windowsill, you won’t be able to close the window. Therefore, a burglar can simply open it to enter your home. Even if the window has some kind of device preventing it from opening all the way, that little crack makes an easy spot for a burglar to slip in a crowbar and hoist the window open.
Don’t Announce Your Gifts
Another all-too-common mistake that homeowners make during the holiday season is announcing their gifts. Whether it’s on social media, at work, etc., keep quiet about the gifts you’ve received.
Use Holiday Lighting to Your Advantage
Most people decorate their homes during the holidays for the purpose of creating a more festive appearance, but exterior lighting may serve a different purpose: to deter burglars and vandals. Installing festive lighting around your home will brighten the exterior with a higher level of illumination. Have your indoor and outdoor lights on timers — don’t just leave them on 24×7.
Install a Security System
There’s no better time than the holidays to invest in a security system for your home. If you’ve been putting it off, telling yourself that you’ll “do it later,” perhaps you should order one now. Securing your home with a security system is hands-down the most effective way to protect against burglary. In fact, studies have shown that homes with a security system are three times less likely to be burglarized than homes without a security system.
At Cultris Security, we design security systems for ANY size home. We work with our customers to determine each one’s individual security needs — we are not a one-size-fits-all firm!
Questions? Contact us today at 281-506-8466 or visit us online.
